Selected issues in the treatment of women infected with HIV.

Abstract

The decision to offer antiretroviral treatment to HIV-infected women is complex and influenced by a number of factors. These include expert panel recommendations on initiating and changing therapy on the real issues of long-term access to drugs on the ability to comply with complex regimens on side effect profiles of combination therapies and on patient preference. This paper provides an overview of the clinical treatment of HIV-infected women in the context of the major shift in treatment strategies that occurred in 1995 with the introduction of the highly active antiretroviral therapies. It concentrates on the basic principles of treatment as opposed to specific recommendations and refers to sources of information. The issues presented include management of HIV; prevention of opportunistic infection; and women-specific opportunistic processes such as screening and treatment of breast cancer gynecologic manifestations sexuality transmitted diseases pelvic inflammatory disease candida vulvovaginitis idiopathic genital ulcers sexually transmitted infections and hormonal and menstrual function.